Fishing for Ants
by Fati Sasspants
Summary: Six year old Riley really wants a bedtime story, but can't seem to stay quiet through the whole thing. Pre-series.


_**After seeing some young!Riley, I really wanted to write a kiddy fic, and this is what I came up with. Nothing exceptionally special or new. I took the liberty to name the boy's mother, though I'm not sure if she was ever named in the comics or the show. Oh, before I forget, I don't own Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod, nor do I own the characters listed below. I'm only borrowing them for playtime.**_

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Jhonnah Freeman made a second trip around the tiny bedroom, seeking out her youngest, who raced from bed to bed, squealing in delight. The boy giggled wildly as he was snatched up by his mother, carried over to his bed, and then gently lowered into it. She turned, finding her oldest already in bed, and tucked Riley in, then moved over to Huey's side.

"Goodnight," she said in a pleasant singsong, reaching to turn out the light.

"Wait!" Riley cried, shooting out from under the covers like a bottle rocket. "You ain't telled us a story yet!"

"A story?" she said in surprise. "Riley its way past your bedtime, there's no time for a story tonight, sugar."

"Riley," Huey scolded his younger brother. "Mama's gotta go to work."

Seeing her eight-year-old respond so maturely made her proud, but also almost broke her heart. Huey had always been a bright child, intelligent and mature for his age, but Jhonnah couldn't help but feel like some of that maturity had been forced on him, having to take care of his younger brother all the time. She glanced at her watch and felt sick to her stomach. She was already unmentionably late, and she had been thinking about quitting for some time- although she hoped to have another job lined up, she felt they could manage.

"You know what," she said softly, stroking a hand down the side of Riley's face, "I just remembered; I don't have to go in until later tonight."

It felt wrong to lie to them, and something told her that Huey saw through her attempt. Even so, they weren't that bad off as it was; her husband was still working, would be home within the hour, as it were. She would have no problem finding another job, and until she did, she would finally be able to spend some quality time with the boys.

"Really?" Huey asked, sounding skeptical.

Riley's eyes lit up. "For real?"

Jhonnah nodded. "Mhm. So what story do you boys want to hear? What about Henny Penny?"

Huey shook his head. "That story is for babies."

"What about Peter Rabbit?"

"Naw!" Riley huffed, sitting up cross legged.

Jhonnah put on an exaggerated thinking face, hmming to herself. "What about Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod?"

"Who?" Huey asked, his attention caught.

"Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod," she explained, walking over to the corner of the room to retrieve an old rocking chair. She placed it between both of the beds and sat. She paused, giving them a chance to settle in, and smiled as she began. "Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod, one night sailed off in a wooden shoe; Sailed off on a river of crystal light into a sea of dew."

"This story doesn't make any sense," Huey commented, cocking his head. "How can 3 people fit in a wooden shoe? Are they elves?"

"Maybe," Jhonnah said, shrugging. "You'll have to wait to find out."

"Quit it! You're ruinin' the story!" Riley hissed, shushing his brother. "Go on, Mama, where 'day sailin' to in dat shoe-boat?"

"Well, let's see… I lost my place…"Where are you going and what do you wish?" the old moon asked the three. "We've come to fish for the herring fish that live in this beautiful sea. Nets of silver and gold have we," said Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod."

"Hairy fish?" Riley exclaimed, making a face. "Das nasty."

"Herring," Huey corrected, rolling his eyes.

"Mama, whassa herring?"

Jhonnah didn't know how to explain it to them. "It's just a type of fish, baby."

"Like dat goldfish we usta have dat died? Remember? I ain't kill him or nothing' he just died one day."

"No, it's a little bigger than that, and it lives in the ocean."

"Oh."

That seemed to satisfy him.

"So all night long their nets they threw to the stars in the twinkling foam. 'Til down from the skies came the wooden shoe bringing the fishermen home. 'Twas all so pretty a sail it seemed as if it could not be. Some folks say 'twas a dream they dreamed of sailing that misty sea. But I shall name you the fisherman three - Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod."

Sighing, Jhonnah rocked in the chair, recalling many nights up with Huey, who was often sick and needing attention. Riley always slept soundly, so soundly, in fact, that she often found herself standing over him as he slept, placing a hand against his back, just to be sure that he was still breathing. How strange things were now- Riley demanded most if not all of her attention, whereas Huey was perfectly content to read a book or watch a VHS tape on his own. She smiled at him as she continued. "The old moon laughed and sang a song as they rocked in the wooden shoe. And the wind that sped them all night long ruffled the waves of dew. Now the little stars are the herring fish that live in that beautiful sea; "Cast your nets wherever you wish never afraid are we!" So cried the stars to the fishermen three - Winkin', and Blinkin', and Nod."

Riley piped up again, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What's dew?"

"You know when you wake up in the morning sometimes, and the grass is all wet? That's dew."

"They floatin' in a ocean of grass water? It musta rained a lot, and they must be fishin' fo' ants, then, 'cause ain't no fish in the grass, ain't that right mama?"

"It's just a story, Riley," Huey reminded him, though he didn't appear any less interested. He sat cross legged, with his elbows leaning on his knees, watching her intently as she got closer to the next verse. He seemed more interested in the story as a whole, and she loved to see the spark of intelligence behind his large, dark eyes.

Riley, on the other hand, was near sleep seconds later, with his chin flat on his chest. He yawned and adjusted his footy pajamas, trying to stay alert but failing. Jhonnah listened hard, hearing a car pull up to the curb, knowing it was her husband. She took one last look at the boys and began wrapping it up for the night.

"Now Winkin' and Blinkin' are two little eyes and Nod is a little head," she said.

"I knew it," Riley sleepily replied. "I knew they wasn't no elves."

Forcing back a soft laugh, she replaced the rocking chair in the corner, and then went to each boy's bedside to once again tuck them, kissing them each good night.

"And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies is a wee one's trundle bed.."

"Mama, whassa..."

"Shh... So close your eyes while mother sings of the wonderful sights that be. And you shall see those beautiful things as you sail on the misty sea, Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three - Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod."

She clicked off the bedroom light and the room plunged into darkness.

"Goodnight, Huey. Goodnight, Riley."

Tomorrow, Huey would ask her question upon question, even ones she could not answer herself, and Riley would build toy block towers and take joy in demolishing them with a swift kick. They would eat cheerios together for breakfast, and argue over bath time in the evening. Time outs would be had, and then, after dinner and a bedtime story, they would sleep. And the next day, they would do it all over again. And the next day, and the next...


End file.
